Who Should I Start? Darnell Mooney or Xavier Legette

Friday, May 30, 11:44 AM

The Atlanta Falcons plan to target wide receiver Darnell Mooney more often during the 2025 season, according to wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard. "We're going to lean on him a lot more than we did last year and see where that goes," Hilliard said. Mooney impressed during his first campaign as a Falcon last year, catching 64 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns through 16 games. He was the overall WR31 in PPR leagues despite missing the season's final contest with a shoulder injury. Mooney said he performed well on deep routes last year, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. acknowledged how difficult he is to cover one-on-one. Operating alongside another talented receiver in Drake London, Mooney currently ranks as RotoBaller's WR48 in redraft leagues. That puts him ahead of players like Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, and Matthew Golden.

Tuesday, April 1, 8:02 PM

At the Annual League Meeting on Tuesday, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales compared wide receiver Xavier Legette to Pittsburgh Steelers wideout DK Metcalf. The Panthers reportedly checked in on Metcalf before the Seahawks traded him to Pittsburgh, but Carolina's head coach touted one of his own when asked about him. "I think we got that guy," Canales said, "I think it's Xavier." The 24-year-old flashed in 2024 but was mostly underwhelming and struggled with drops (eight on 81 targets). However, Canales believes we could see big things from Legette with an entire offseason under his belt. He also noted the second-year wideout's work ethic. "You can't get him out of the building. He's there early and late...he's doing all the right things, and with the hard work, it will pay off." The South Carolina native has a bit to go before he's fantasy-relevant, but the vote of confidence from his head coach is encouraging. He sits favorably on the team's depth chart for now, but that could change later this month after the draft.